Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Simon and Schuster Grades PreK-1 Revised 2nd Edition Updated July 2026

Who it fits

Budget-minded families who want a scripted, no-prep way to get a young child reading and don't mind plain pages. Kinesthetic kids and children who need games or extra decoding practice often do better with something more hands-on.

How it scores

Rigor
?

How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1gentle, below grade
  2. 2relaxed
  3. 3on grade
  4. 4demanding
  5. 5advanced
Read the rigor guide
Parent involvement
?

How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1hands-off
  2. 2light
  3. 3shared
  4. 4leading
  5. 5parent-taught
Read the parent involvement guide
Prep load
?

How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1open-and-go
  2. 2minimal
  3. 3moderate
  4. 4involved
  5. 5heavy
Read the prep load guide
Screen time
?

How much daily work is on a device. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1fully offline
  2. 2mostly offline
  3. 3blended
  4. 4mostly digital
  5. 5fully digital
Read the screen time guide
Independence
?

How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1adult-led
  2. 2guided
  3. 3semi-independent
  4. 4mostly independent
  5. 5fully independent
Read the independence guide
Time commitment
?

How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:

  1. 1under 15 min
  2. 215 to 25 min
  3. 325 to 40 min
  4. 440 to 60 min
  5. 560+ min
Read the time commitment guide

At a glance

Faith content None
Approach Mastery
Format Textbook A single paperback with one scripted lesson a day. It uses a modified alphabet with special marks that fade out toward the end. The parent reads the script aloud, and the child reads from the same book.
Used as Spine
Philosophy Traditional Synthetic phonics
Best for Struggling learnersMulti-age families

What parents consistently praise

  • Cheap and it works
  • The script means a parent needn't know phonics
  • Kids hit a solid second-grade level in 100 lessons
  • One book taught all their kids
  • Twenty-minute lessons keep it doable

What parents report as challenges

  • Plain black and white pages, no color
  • The stories feel silly or dry to parents
  • The "bet you can't" wording rubs some parents wrong
  • The last 40 lessons drag

How it shifts by grade

Most families start between ages 4 and 6 once the child shows readiness. After the book, families move to easy readers or a fuller phonics program.

Additional notes

Based on the DISTAR direct-instruction method. A common critique is thin repeated practice and scope gaps (schwa, some vowel teams), so families often add readers or a supplemental phonics resource.

Cost

Price$16-25 (one book)
ConsumableNo
Per child / year~$20 once, reusable across kids
Check price Simon and Schuster

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Compare head to head

Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources (forums, Facebook groups, Reddit, and long-form reviews) together with the publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time.

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